You meet someone whose beauty captures your attention and makes you go against your religious devotions. Head over heels in lust, you exchange sweet kisses and create memorable nights, but things grow sour. Addicted to their touch, you return only to be loved and left bloody in your shower.

That is the story of Travis Alexander, a Mormon from Arizona who was stabbed 27 times and shot in the face by on-again off-again girlfriend Jodi Arias in June of 2008. Arias’ trial began early January and if convicted, Arias faces the death penalty.

Jodi Arias killed Travis Alexander, wrote in her diary she had no clue what happened, allegedly spent a night with another man the same night, and showed no signs of remorse while police interviewed her about the incident.

Jodi Arias initially denied murdering Alexander, claiming they were a victim of a home invasion after a night of passion. She later on recanted her claim and admitted to killing Alexander in self-defense after a camera holding pictures of Arias and Alexander’s sex crazed evening and Alexander’s butchered body in the shower was found in a washing machine.

Friends of Travis Alexander found the butchered body in Alexander’s shower and immediately knew it was Arias. Arias has reportedly been displeased with Alexander ending what defendants are depicting as a volatile relationship. Friends recalled Alexander expressing his fear that Arias’ antics would become violent.

The trial seems to be nothing more than a public murder of Travis Alexander’s character in an attempt to justify him being stabbed 27 times – one of the slashes almost decapitated him – and being shot in the face. Arias is claiming she feared Alexander, although there have been no reports of him ever physically assaulting her and all sexual encounters were consensual.

Since Arias has been incarcerated, she stated in an interview with 48 Hours, “It was the scariest experience of my life. It was just so unreal. It was like a movie unfolding. Like a horrible movie.”

The nature of the couple’s sexual relationship and Arias’ beauty has been a focal point in this case more so than the actual crime. Evidence has placed her at the scene of the crime and the amount of wounds indicate she knew exactly what she was doing, but for some reason how many times they had sex, raunchy texts, emails and religious beliefs seem to matter most.